VIL] THE "DRY-ROT OF TIMBER. 189 



It must first be borne in mind that this fungus 

 spreads, like so many others, by means of both spores 

 and mycelium : it is easy to see strands of mycelium 

 passing from badly-diseased planks or beams, &c., 

 across intervening brick-work or soil, and on to 

 sound timber, which it then infects. The spores are 

 developed in countless myriads from the fructifications 

 described, and they are extremely minute and light : 

 it has been proved that they can be carried from 

 house to house on the clothes and tools, &c., of 

 workmen, who in their ignorance of the facts are 

 perfectly careless about laying their coats, implements, 

 &c., on piles of the diseased timber intended for 

 removal. Again, in replacing beams, &c., attacked 

 with dry-rot, with sound timber, the utmost ignorance 

 and carelessness are shown : broken pieces of the 

 diseased timber are left about, whether with spores on 

 or not ; and I have myself seen quite lately sound 

 planks laid close upon and nailed to planks attacked 

 with the " rot." Hartig proved that the spores can 

 be carried from the wood of one building to that of 

 another by means of the saws of workmen. 



But perhaps the most reckless of all practices is the 

 usage of partially diseased timber for other con- 

 structive purposes, and stacking it meanwhile in a 

 yard or outbuilding in the neighbourhood of fresh-cut, 



